Stacey Donen can’t recall the first film he saw. Or how old he was at the time.

‘I’ve been watching movies for as long as I can remember,’ says the 44-year-old veteran Toronto film programmer. ‘As a kid, there was nothing else that I wanted to do more – and that is probably still true today.’

It’s a good thing he’s still as passionate about film as he was as a kid – because he’s doing a lot more movie screening these days. In fact, you could say he is living and breathing film.

Donen has recently taken on the role of artistic director of the Whistler Film Festival, while also continuing his job as director of programming for The Royal repertory cinema/post-production facility in Toronto and programmer for Reel Canada, an initiative that brings Canadian films into classrooms. He is splitting his time between Vancouver, Whistler and Toronto.

As far as he is concerned, adding the Whistler gig to his other duties means he can do more of what he enjoys most.

‘As a programmer, you have to have a real thirst to experience all kinds of films,’ explains Donen. ‘You need a love for cinema that is all-consuming because that is what you do all day. And you have to be an advocate for the films you want to present to the world and speak about them and promote them and get others just as excited about them as you are.’

Donen, who has a film degree from York University, has spent over a decade in festival programming, including the Toronto International Film Festival (Canadian Cinema), the Voices Forward Festival of film and culture from Israel and Palestine, the FebioFest in Prague (Canadian sidebar) and the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois. He has also been a consulting programmer for Whistler since 2005.

While he enjoys his work at The Royal and Reel Canada, Donen admits he had the bug to return to a festival environment.

‘I missed all that build towards one week of the year and being in contact with filmmakers,’ he explains. ‘I like to advocate and support young filmmakers. Programming Whistler gives me another avenue to make a difference in terms of presenting films out into the world.’

Whistler is a relatively young and small festival on the Canadian landscape. The ninth annual event runs Dec. 3-6 in the B.C. ski village. Around 7,500 annually attend the fest, which includes a celebrity challenge ski race and an industry Filmmaker Forum.

Donen doesn’t plan to reinvent the wheel this year. WFF will continue to screen up to 90 films from Canada and around the globe and give out awards totaling over $40,000 in prizes and commissions, including the second largest cash prize in the country for the best new Canadian feature.

‘This year we are going to focus on what we do well and run a well-oiled machine,’ says Donen. ‘We want the industry and filmmakers and public to have a fantastic time and for the event to run smoothly. If everyone goes home saying they had an amazing time, they will continue to come back and tell others about it. You have to build on the experience, because as a small festival it can be difficult to get the word out. You have to get people excited and get them to help promote the festival.’

The worldwide economic woes have impacted numerous festivals this year, in terms of attendance and sponsorship. Donen is staying positive, noting that the upcoming 2010 Olympics is giving Whistler an unprecedented amount of attention. ‘That spotlight on Whistler can only help us, so we are lucky in that way,’ he says.

While WFF currently has a strong Canadian film focus, Donen’s long-term vision for the festival is to expand to include a larger international component. He wants WFF to become renowned for finding and presenting the work of the best new and emerging filmmakers from around the world.

‘I would like Whistler to be a discovery festival,’ he explains. ‘A festival that seeks out emerging talent and really allows their films to shine. I believe you can support great Canadian films by having them play alongside the great international films.’

WFF is scheduled late in the festival season, but rather than looking at this as a negative, Donen feels that this will allow him to showcase those filmmaking gems that may get lost in the crowd at bigger festivals earlier in the year.

‘Festivals have become very celebrity-driven and the attention has gone towards who might be in attendance rather than the discussion of film,’ he points out.

ET CETERA…

• Donen’s uncle worked at Warner Bros. Canada and his cousin was a theater owner

• A graduate of the Canadian Film Centre, Donen has produced several films himself, including: Chinese Chocolate (a winner at the Berlin film fest), Lilly, The Grace of God (best Canadian film at the 1998 Inside Out film festival in Toronto), The Eternal Husband and the Genie-nominated documentary Tops & Bottoms

• When he isn’t screening films, he’s outside playing road hockey

• Movies he watches over and over: Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz (1979), Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s The Red Shoes (1948) and John Ford’s My Darling Clementine (1946). ‘They are all films that make you feel better than you did before you put them on,’ says Donen

• Book on his nightstand: Miriam Toews’ The Flying Troutmans

• Favorite band: The Clash